Endemic means a disease occurs frequently, and with predictable regularity, in a specific area or population. For example, chicken pox occurs at a high and predictable rate among American school children.

Review Date: 2/21/2009Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.